The Milwaukee Bucks have endured a dramatic offseason filled with roster upheaval and uncertainty.
Drama began with reports suggesting Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to explore opportunities outside Milwaukee, sparking trade rumors linking him to teams like the Golden State Warriors and the New York Knicks.
The franchise made a shocking decision to waive Damian Lillard, creating salary cap space to acquire center Myles Turner after losing Brook Lopez.
While Giannis remains with the organization, the roster moves created significant imbalance.
NBA insider Tim Bontemps identified a critical hole in the Bucks‘ current construction: the lack of adequate replacement for Lillard’s production at point guard.
The Bucks have explored options including Chris Paul, but no quality point guard has materialized to fill the void left by Lillard’s departure.
The insider emphasized how Milwaukee downgraded significantly at the point guard position despite improving their frontcourt with Turner’s addition. The trade-off created more problems than it solved.
“They had Damian Lillard last year, who’s awfully good, and they didn’t really replace him. They replaced Brook Lopez with Myles Turner, but they still have the all-star point guard hole on their team,” Bontemps explained.
The Bucks attempted to address the position by signing Cole Anthony and retaining Ryan Rollins on their roster. However, Bontemps believes these options fall far short of championship-level requirements.
Anthony started just 22 games for Orlando last season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.9 assists, and 3.0 rebounds.
His limited starting experience and modest production numbers raise questions about his readiness for increased responsibility as a Lillard‘s replacement.
Rollins primarily served as a bench player during his time with Milwaukee, contributing 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game. His development remains promising but insufficient for immediate championship contention.
Head coach Doc Rivers plans to utilize Giannis in point guard duties, similar to his approach last season. The strategy maximizes Giannis’s versatility but creates potential long-term concerns.
Bontemps worries about the sustainability of placing such heavy offensive responsibilities on Milwaukee’s franchise player throughout an entire season.
The lack of quality point guard depth forces Giannis to assume primary ball-handling duties alongside his scoring and rebounding responsibilities.
“I’ve liked some of the stuff they’ve done on the margins. Like Ryan Rollins is an interesting young player. Getting Cole Anthony for the minimum on a buyout is fine. There’s just not a lot of talent on the roster and their one Giannis injury away, if he misses three weeks they quickly become one of the worst teams in the league,” Bontemps warned.
“Because he’s going to have an insane usage load this year and he’s going to put up crazy numbers, but what I’m also not convinced that’s going to have him in a situation when he’s going to be playing 75 games and if he misses any chunk of time, these guys are going to have a really, really, hard time winning games,” he added.
Giannis experienced multiple injuries last season but managed to appear in 67 games despite the physical toll. His durability allowed Milwaukee to remain competitive throughout the regular season.
However, the increased usage rate and expanded responsibilities could accelerate wear and tear on his body.
The combination of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking duties represents a significant physical burden.
The Bucks’ playoff aspirations depend heavily on Giannis maintaining his health while carrying an unprecedented workload.
Any extended absence would expose their roster construction flaws and potentially derail their competitive timeline even in a less-competitive Eastern Conference.
